BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum were two of the acts who paid tribute to Luke Bryan at last night’s CMT Artists of the Year special.
Bryan remained in his hometown of Leesburg to be with family following the weekend death of his brother-in-law, Ben Lee Cheshire.
According to his obituary in the Albany Herald , Cheshire, 46, died Saturday at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. No cause of death was given.
Cheshire graduated from Lee County High School in 1986 and attended Georgia Southern University. He was the owner of Southland Appraisal Service.
The Bryan family has suffered the loss of many family members. Cheshire was the widow of Bryan’s sister, Kelly, who died of unknown causes in 2007 at the age of 39. The couple leaves behind three teenage children.
Bryan’s brother Chris was killed in a car crash in 1996.
In 2013, Bryan recorded the song “Drink a Beer” in memory of his deceased siblings.
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
At the CMT show in Nashville on Tuesday, Lady Antebellum and Chris Stapleton, one of the song’s writers, performed an acoustic version of the song and dedicated it to the Bryan family.
“If you’re watching tonight back home, this one’s for you, Luke, and your family. We love you so much and our thoughts are with you,” said Augusta native Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum.
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Drink a Beer (CMT Artists of the Year), Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum Videos
Another fellow Georgian, Macon’s Jason Aldean, also had words of encouragement as he accepted his award at the CMT show.
“One of my buddies Luke Bryan is not here tonight and dealing with some family stuff in Georgia,” Aldean said. “I just want to say, [we’re] thinking about you and your family. Our thoughts are prayers are with you all. We love you guys and hurry back to the country music world.”
Those who wish to make a donation in Cheshire's name can do so to the Lee County YMCA, 316 Robert B. Lee Road, Leesburg, GA 31763 or Lee County Recreational Department, 110 Starksville Road, Leesburg, GA 31763.
To sign the online registry or to send condolences to the family, visit the Mathews Funeral Home website at www.mathewsfuneralhome.com.
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